7th RRFS - 1971 - 1972

Photos from Dave Dwiggins - Recovered from Bill Bogart's old 7th Web Site
I received orders to be stationed at Udorn Thailand in the summer of 1971 and arrived in September. The weather was hot and the air base was really active. F4's would take off four at a time, fully loaded, returning without their ordinance. The activity was around the clock making sleep difficult. We worked six days a week on twelve hour shifts in order to keep up with the demands of the war. I worked in the ground power shop and most of my friends did as well. I also enjoyed a very good relationship with the maint crews at DET 1 CIA OPERATIONS at Udorn. They needed parts that we had and we needed some that they had. We swapped many parts to ensure serviceability was there.

I was at DaNang for a hitch but the stay in Thailand was by far the best. My friends were wonderful including a Thai friend, Vera Kunthavichai, whom I located while I was in Thailand a year ago. My friend Ron Sell, whom lives in Udon Thani and is presently an English teacher at ECC college, invited me to return a year ago and visited for three weeks. Ron and I were stationed at Udorn in 1971 and 1972. We became very good friends and kept in touch all these years. I have internet communications regularly with Ron at ECC and Tommy Thompson at the VFW in Udorn. He also operates TJ's Restaurant next door and is a very nice man that showed us a wonderful time during our visit. My story of being in Thailand years ago could go on and on forever with the good times and good friends. For more specifics send a few questions if you wish.


The "Infamous Strip" You were a "nug" till you had been to the strip. circa early 1970's

Just like homes most anywhere.
Same as kids anywhere.

For the most part hard working, but they have a good time.
Thai woman feeding a child.

Note the water tower at this house near the Air Base.
Vera was one of the nicest fellows that you would ever want to meet.
I sneaked up on him last year in the village that he now lives. Ban Chiang.
It startled him a bit but within a few minutes he had the family in a party mood
serving up some cold Singhas and some tasty food. We had a blast.

Supposedly a Thai delicacy.....Monkey Balls and Monkey Ball Soup.
Who knows what it really was?.
One of the many "haunts" downtown. (Ed. Note-This was the web
masters headquarters for a time...till he got kicked out.)

Another "Infamous" hangout for "zoomies" and "groundpounders".
The Paradise pool. Not to be confused with the Paradise Bar which was wetter.
The Champaign Bar. Another hot spot on the tour guide back in the 60's and 70's.

Mekong River near Nong Khai.
How about this old fashioned gasoline station? These were there when
we were there in the 60's and 70's. Today's stations are very modern
and only a few of these old ones remain.

 

Richard W Jaslovsky WebMaster